Two drug peddlers killed in Tangail, Bogra gunfights

Country Desk
Two suspected drug peddlers
were killed in ‘gunfights’ with
police and Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) in Tangail and Bogura
districts early Friday, reports Our Correspondents
Staff Correspondent from Bogura said one Pitu Sarkar, 25, an alleged ‘drug peddler’ and son of Mujibur Rahman of village Charsutrapur in Sadar upazila was killed in a reported gunfight with police at Bhatkandi Bridge in Shahjahanpur upazila around 3 am.
Additional Superintendent of Police ,SanatanChakrawarty of the district said , actiong on a tip-off that two groups of drug traders were taking position in the area, a team of police went to the spot .
At one stage, the criminals opened fire on them forcing police to take action, triggering a gunfight.
Later, police recovered the body of Pitu Sarkar. They also recovered 500 pieces of Yaba tablets, one shutter gun, eight bullets from the spot.
He was wanted in six drug related cases, said police.
With the latest deaths, at least 135 people were killed in ‘gunfights’ with members of law enforcement agencies while 37 bodies of suspected drug traders were recovered after reported gun battles between rival groups during the countrywide anti-narcotic drives since 15 May.
In Tangail, Afzal, 35, a suspected drug trader was killed in a reported gunfight with Rapid Action Battalion members at Beguntal in Sadar upazila early Friday.
Acting on a tip-off the elite force members conducted a drive in the area that a group of drug traders gathered the spot around 2 am, said commanding officer of Rab-12 Rabiul Islam.
Sensing presence of the elite force, the criminals opened fire on them that forced the Rab members to fire back in self-defence.
At one stage, Rab members recovered the bullet-hit body of Afzal, a top listed drug trader, from the spot, he said.
They also recovered one pistol, five bullets, 1042 pieces of Yaba pills and 200 bottles of Phensidyl from the scene. Afzal was wanted in a number of cases, Rab officials said.